Meet The Freedmans
by Forever Galindafied
Summary: Cooper drags Charlotte away, to Akron, to meet her future in-laws. Her journey as she gets to know her new family: finding love and acceptance in unexpected sources, and discovering things about herself she never knew existed.
1. Chapter One

**I thought this might be a fun story to do, as its something I am absoloutely dying to see happen in the programme. As far as I'm aware, nobody has yet made a continous story about Charlotte meeting her future in laws! I hope you enjoy this, and please do review with any comments or suggestions! Whether its about my writing technique or possible plot twists, feel free to give comment. =) Thanks for reading!**

**I just want to note, that I own NONE of Private Practice. It all belongs to Shonda Rhimes.**

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Chapter One

Charlotte rose her hand as she attempted to shield her eyes from the sun, squinting as she tried to spot Cooper in the grounds outside of St Ambrose Hospital. They had lunch plans, and he was late. God she hated that, would the man EVER learn to be punctional? He was a doctor, you'd think he have learnt the importance of time-keeping by now, but apparantley not.

She got the fright of her life when an arm enveloped around her, spinning round to confront the culprit who merely responded to her highly annoyed glare with a flippiant "Miss me?"

"Cooper! What the hell kind of time do you call this? I've been stood here like an idiot waiting on you for twenty minutes already. If I was a bus, you'd have missed me." Charlotte said with a growl, determined to hold her glare a little longer, the man had to learn... although he was giving her that schoolboy grin of his that always managed to break her. Damnit.

"Well, there's a new bus every twenty minutes or so, I'm sure I'd have caught up with you eventually."

Charlotte rolled her eyes. Smart mouth and no regard for her time, why the heck was she marrying him again? "Oh yeah..." she thought as he flashed her that grin of his once more, "That's why." The man may be irritating but he sure was handsome, in the kind of way that made her want to jump his bones right there right then, and (to be quite frank) at any given opportunity.

Cooper saw a small smile creep across Charlotte's lips, which always meant that he was forgiven, although she'd be the last to admit it. He took the opportunity to give her a quick kiss and drag her across to the nearest table, presenting her with a chocolate muffin as he did so. He'd actually bought that muffin for himself, and flushed a little red as he watched Charlotte unwrap it...he'd REALLY wanted that muffin- but he figured that chocolate would take him firmly out of the dog house. Anything was worth it to be in Charlotte's good books, the woman was like this little ball of fire, and as much as he loved that about her he _really _didn't wanna be burned.

"You better have a good exuse for leaving me standing there like a lemon all this time." Charlotte said through a mouthful of food. Yeah, talking with your mouth full is the epitomy of an unladylike action, and her Momma would have killed her for it if she was there, but she'd been in surgery all morning and she was starving. Cooper had his quirks, she figured she was allowed some of her own every now and then.

"Actually, Char..." Cooper's voice tailed off into nothing, she really wasn't going to like this. "I was on the phone with-"

"Lemme guess? Violet!" Charlotte said, snapping a little harder than she initially meant to.

"Nooo!" Cooper responded, stretching the word out to highlight how wrong she was. He and Violet had really been making an effort to cut down the phonecalls, and the non pre-organized visits, and the watching tv together... He took a massive bite of his sandwich, annoyed at the conclusion Charlotte had leapt to.

"Sorry." Charlotte replied, very quietly, but she still said it. "So, you gonna leave me hanging or what?"

Cooper quickly swallowed the rest of his food, bracing himself for her reaction, "I was on the phone with my mother. She eh...she's desperate to meet you before the wedding: get to know you, spend some proper time with you, all that jazz."

Charlotte froze a little, she really hoped this wasn't going where she thought it was going. "So you told her that we would discuss it, and get back to her? That we would arrange a time and come over for a weekend at some point in the future, right?"

"Yeah, of course. If by discussing it you mean made a judgement call in the heat of the moment to a slightly overbearing mother, then yeah."

"Cooper!"

"We leave in two weeks, and we're gonna be there for four or five days so you might want to start re-arranging your surgeries and appointments asap."

"I can't believe you!" Charlotte barked at him, letting out a huge groan in the process."

"Okay, I gotta run." Cooper said, glancing at his watch. Time for a swift get-a-way, give her time to digest the news and hopefully not allowing her any time to start throwing things at him. "Love you," he told her as he departed, giving her a quick kiss on the top of her head before rushing off.

Charlotte threw back her shoulders and groaned in frustration. She'd been with Cooper for a few years now and not once had she been forced to meet the parents, something she'd always been supremely grateful for. She really was dreading this visit, what if they didn't like her? What the hell would happen then? She stomped back to the hospital entrance, throwing the remains of her lunch in the trash, with force, as she did so. This was it, she was going to have to meet the damn in-laws.


	2. Chapter Two

**Thanks so much to everybody who reviewed the last chapter, I had fun reading all your comments and I'm grateful for your input! Please do keep reviewing, I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

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Chapter Two

"Charlotte, where did my green shirt go?" Cooper yelled across the room, messily throwing items into his suitcase.

Charlotte eyed the state of his packing and rolled her eyes, living with Cooper was like having a child underfoot sometimes, although she figured even a three year old would make less mess.

"You mean that God-awful waste of material you bought about ten years ago?" Charlotte clarified, raising both eyebrows as she looked him dead in the eye. "In the trash."

"You _threw out_ my shirt?" Cooper asked, taken aback. If he ever dared do the same to her she would kill him, unapologetically

"I couldn't walk around with you wearing that thing any longer, it was embarrassing." She informed him, waving a hand in the air as if to dismiss him. "Where the hell did you manage to pick that thing up anyway?"

At that, she playfully shoved Cooper out of her way as she took reign over his suitcase. She took out every article of clothing, folding it in a meticulous fashion as she repacked for him. Cooper shook his head, he'd always been a little baffled at the extent of her organisational talents- a quality of Charlotte's that, to be quite honest, had always freaked him out a little. He couldn't understand it, but then again that was Charlotte, the ultimate perfectionist at everything she did.

"For your information," Cooper began with a look of childish defiance, "my mother bought it for me about three years ago, and there was _nothing _wrong with that shirt."

"_Everything _was wrong with that shirt." Charlotte retorted, as she zipped the suitcase closed. "There! I think we're about sorted."

Cooper grinned, watching Charlotte as she placed her hands on her hips, letting out a soft sigh in the process. "If I didn't know you better Char, I'd swear you were nervous," he teased.

Charlotte opened her mouth to protest, thinking better of it she turned it into a grimace instead. She was making a real effort to be more open with Cooper about what she was feeling. If she was going to avoid being a divorcee for the second time she figured all the talking and expressing might actually be necessary, although it pained her a little to admit it. She kept things locked up for a reason, all this sharing was a new development that was going to take time for her to get used to, it just didn't come naturally to her.

"Whatever," she shrugged, "don't make a big deal about it."

...Well, at least she was kind of getting there. Slowly.

Cooper's expression softened, noting her clenched jaw and tense shoulders. He could easily tell when his fiancé was truly upset about something, and it had just dawned on him how nervous Charlotte actually was.

"Hey," he hushed, walking over to where she was standing- rigid as a china doll. He held a hand to her cheek, cupping the side of her face as he gently pulled her chin upwards. "You're an insanely gorgeous, intelligent woman who saves lives for a living. They're gonna love you; scout's honour," he said as he reassured her, making a cute little hand gesture to properly mark his "scout's honour" in the process.

"You can quit tryin' to make me feel better Coop, honestly its not necessary. I'm a big girl, I know how to conduct myself properly and I'll be absolutely fine," Charlotte said a little defiantly, although Cooper couldn't help but notice that she still leaned into him ever so slightly.

"C'mon," he said with a small smile, grabbing both their cases and dragging them downstairs. "We'd better get a move on."

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Later that day, Charlotte and Cooper arrived in Akron, sitting in the "Arrivals" bay waiting to be picked up. Ten minutes passed until a tall, somewhat gangly gentleman with salt and pepper hair strode over to them; flashing a wide smile wholly intended to put Charlotte at ease.

"Dad," Cooper remarked, his face lighting up at the sight of his father. Charlotte instinctively grabbed onto Cooper's arm, giving his father a shy nod as he approached.

Ted Freedman slowly took in the petite blonde standing next to his son, she was entirely what he had expected. He had pressed Cooper for details about Charlotte frequently throughout their tempestuous relationship, having always found his son's description of this woman rather intriguing. From what he understood, Charlotte King was a fiery blonde with plenty of spirit, who didn't give a damn what those around her thought of her decisions, so long as she was happy with them herself. Ted had to admit, that no matter whether Cooper was moaning about her one moment or gushing over her the next, he thought she was a perfect match for his son. Cooper needed someone who gave him a run for his money, and it sounded like Charlotte had that down to a fine art. He liked her already.

After giving the son he hadn't seen since Christmas a quick hug, Ted turned his entire attention to Charlotte whom he greeted with a warm embrace. An action Cooper was grateful for, having informed his father earlier of Charlotte's transformation into a complete bag of nerves regarding their visit.

"Where's Mom?" Cooper asked him, puzzled at his busybody mother's lack of appearance.

"She's running around the house polishing and vacuming everything in sight, for the tenth time today. You know what your mother's like, needs everything to be absolutely perfect," Ted responded with a small laugh.

Angie Freedman was perhaps as much of a perfectionist as his future daughter in law, but Ted knew there was a little more to it than his wife was letting on. Perhaps it was due to Angie's adoration of Violet, a perfectly lovely girl whom both Ted and his wife had believed Cooper would eventually end up with; or perhaps it was due to Charlotte's reluctance to have an entirely Jewish wedding, who knew what went on in his wife's head? Angie was still somewhat of a mystery to him even after all of their years together, and to be quite honest she was rather exhausting to live with, although he loved her with all of his heart.

Leaving Cooper to handle the suitcases, Ted linked arms with his son's fiancé, determined to make her feel welcome. "Now Charlotte," he began, thoroughly delighted to actually be speaking to this woman he had heard so much about, "you must tell me all about Sexology, Cooper never gives me a straight answer and I'm curious to know what it is you do."

Charlotte was grateful for the man's kindness, feeling automatically at ease when she sensed the warmth in his voice. She knew that she was hardly what they would deem suitable "wife" material for their son, but here was her future father in law taking a real interest in getting to know her. She could only hope that Ted's wife was as accepting.


	3. Chapter Three

**I just want to apologize for the long delay in getting this chapter up, I've had some pretty bad computer problems and, to be honest, even when I managed to get them fixed I've been getting a little sad trying to write about Charlotte in recent weeks (due to her rape storyline on the show- which although being brilliantly portrayed, is absolutely devastating). However, my laptop is in 100% health and I really want to keep on with this story. I hope to update this in a much more timely fashion from now on, and I _really_ hope you all enjoy it! **

**Please do review, I so appreciate it. =)**

**Disclaimer: Once again, I cannot emphasise enough that I own absolutely none of Private Practice, it belongs to Shonda Rhimes.**

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Chapter 3

Charlotte's eyes fluttered open, yawning as she slowly sat up on the crisp white sheets of the bed, the mattress of which was far too soft for her liking- _"It's like being swallowed by a marshmallow"_ she groaned inwardly. A small smile passed her lips as she glanced at Cooper, dead to the world with his left arm bent at the oddest angle- she must have been using it as pillow during the night, and god bless him he was too sweet to move her. She gracefully slid off the edge off the bed, removed her night clothes and pulled on a pair of jeans, black tank top and a stripy blue cardigan.

Charlotte made her way downstairs in search of the kitchen, feeling absolutely starved and in need of a caffeine hit, pausing briefly to analyse an old Freedman family photo that hung on the wall; sandwiched between two beaming parents was a ten year old Cooper- smiling goofily and wearing an awful cable-knit sweater, his fashion sense had obviously not improved any over the years. Charlotte listened for some sign of activity as she walked through the lower half of the house, her Southern manners instructing her to ask permission before helping herself to the goods found in the kitchen cupboards. Not that she paid attention to these manners often, heck, most of the time she simply did as she liked- but she didn't want to seem inconsiderate to the future in-laws, she already had the feeling that Angie wasn't too fond of her. This fact, she had to admit, gave her one of those uneasy feelings in the pit of her stomach; Cooper was such a momma's boy, she didn't want conflict there if she could help it.

Upon opening the kitchen door, she was relieved to find Ted stood at the counter, pouring himself a cup of coffee whilst listening to the morning news on the radio.

"Morning," he said cheerfully, "just made a fresh pot, hope it's not too strong for you."

"The stronger the better," Charlotte replied with a lazy smile, "What's the point if you can't taste it?"

"Truer words were never spoken," Ted agreed, laughing softly. "The phone didn't wake you, did it?"

"Not at all, wasn't aware it was ringing," she said, cradling her freshly filled cup with both hands.

"Ah good, you Southerners wake up with the sun I take it?"

"Something like that," she said with a smile. "Hope someone wasn't tryin' to sell you something at this time in the morning."

"No, no, it was just my niece, Rebecca," he clarified. "The little one tends to wake her up pretty early, and I'm a morning person, like you, so she uses it as an opportunity to check in."

"That's nice, you must be pretty close."

"We are," he said with a nod. "She told me she might come over this afternoon, says she's desperate to see Coop, but I reckon she's more curious to check you out for herself."

"Hopefully I'll make a good impression then," Charlotte said with a mumble.

"Oh don't worry about that," Ted replied reassuringly, "I was singing your praises down the phone."

Charlotte laughed, "Well then, I guess I owe you a thank-you."

"Not a bit, just made it my business to tell the truth," he grinned. "Just you be your charming self, I'm sure you'll get on like a house on fire."

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Cooper had joined his father and Charlotte in the kitchen about half an hour later, bemused at the camaraderie the two already seemed to share as he fixed himself breakfast. The atmosphere was light and jovial: Charlotte was talking wistfully about her beloved horse Marjorie, with Ted sharing anecdotes about the riding lessons he'd had as a child- something Cooper hadn't previously known about his father. The pair seemed to have taken to each other exceptionally well, and although Cooper was a little surprised at this fact- due to Charlotte being...well, Charlotte- he was more than pleased that the introductions were going so smoothly.

"Cooper, dear, could you help me take these boxes into the car?" he heard his mother cry from the top of the stairwell.

"Mom," Cooper began, wrinkling his brow in confusion as he came to her aid, "what...are you doing?"

"We had a bit of a clear out last weekend, and I've not had the time to take this lot to goodwill until today." Angie replied, her voice hurried as though preparing to rush out the door.

"Mom, just leave it for now, yeah? Or ask Dad to do it."

"I'm fine, dear, honestly."

"You've not even said 'Good Morning' to Charlotte yet," Cooper informed her, "and you barely said two words to her when she arrived yesterday either- just spent the remainder of your evening baking in that kitchen."

"Well, you were both tired from your trip; I didn't want to irritate either of you with my blathering." Angie replied with a wave of her hand.

Cooper crossed his arms over his chest, sighing deeply. He loved his mom; she was one of those bubbly, warm, mother-hen types who revelled in fussing over someone as if they were a five year old with the flu. However, right now she was...off, she wasn't acting like her usual cordial self to the one person he had expected her to welcome with open arms. The 'Violet Turner' in him wondered if she was simply worried about being replaced, that the fact he was getting married meant she thought he wouldn't need his mom fussing over him anymore. Maybe she was still annoyed that he and Charlotte weren't having a traditional, Jewish ceremony? Or maybe it was nothing to do with Charlotte, perhaps she had money worries? Maybe she was ill?

"Mom, are you alright?" Cooper asked her, his voice laden with concern.

"Now, why would you ask a thing like that?" Angie replied, carrying another box to the car, "I'm just fine, Coop, no need to worry about your old Mom."

"You just don't seem like yourself," he told her, "and you don't seem to be interested in getting to know Charlotte..."

"Of course I want to get to know her!" she exclaimed, "You're getting married to the girl, I want nothing more than to get to know her. How about we all have a sit down later, with some tea and a few biscuits, and chat away? That sound good?"

"That sounds great, Mom, it really does," Cooper said hesitantly, "but why don't Dad and I drive into town with these boxes? Give you a chance to talk to Charlotte a bit, make her feel welcome?"

Angie sighed, "If it means that much to you, then alright, but you can't leave that poor girl in a strange house without you for too long, Coop. I raised you better than that, you need to show her some support."

Cooper grinned, kissed his mother on the cheek, round up his father and carried the remainder of the boxes out to the car. Before he left, he walked into the kitchen and gave an anxious Charlotte a quick kiss, _"It'll be fine," _he had told her, _"you'll love her as much as I do by the time we get back."_

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Charlotte wasn't quite sure what to do with herself, she leaned against the kitchen counter, swishing the last of her coffee around in its cup. _"Damn him," _she thought, _"Damn him, damn him, damn him." _Why the hell would he leave her alone with his mother? The woman clearly wasn't thrilled about meeting her to begin with; it seemed downright stupid to add more awkwardness than was necessary. She already had enough issues with her own momma, she didn't need to add his onto the list too.

Angie padded into the kitchen, giving Charlotte a small smile as she began to clear away the breakfast dishes.

"Oh, I can do that," Charlotte said, her voice a little too high as the butterflies in her stomach began to flit about. "It's the least I can do."

"Don't be daft, dear," Angie told her, smiling at Charlotte once more, "although it's sweet of you to offer."

The next five minutes or so passed by in silence, the only communication between the two women being the odd awkward glance in the other's direction.

"I was going to make an apple pie," Angie suddenly declared, "for Rebecca coming this afternoon, you can help with that if you like."

"Uh...sure," replied Charlotte, adding a little reluctantly "although I have to warn you I'm not too good at anything involving an oven."

"Nothing you can't learn with a bit of practice," Angie informed her, clattering loudly as she pulled out the relevant baking utensils, and instructed Charlotte on which items to fetch from the fridge.

Charlotte was given the exceedingly tricky task of cutting up the apples, while Angie took it upon herself to start making up the pie's crust. Desperately searching for an ice-breaker, Charlotte asked Angie what Cooper was like as a child- "_Every mother likes to boast about her son, right?" _she had thought with confidence. She'd struck gold, or so Charlotte thought, as Angie began to disclose stories about the magic shows Cooper used to perform for them as a child.

"He'd get Ted to set up a table out there on the lawn," Angie revealed, smiling as she relayed the details to Charlotte, "gather up a crowd of kids from the neighbourhood, declare himself 'The Great Freedini" and charge fifty cents to anyone who wanted to watch."

"Fifty cents?" Charlotte laughed, "That's daylight robbery, was he good at least?"

"At that age, not so much," Angie replied, shaking her head. "In those days it was mainly card tricks and a bendy wand."

"Oh Lord..."

"I'll bet your kids are just as mischievous," said Angie, "if they're anything like Cooper was you'll both have your hands full."

Charlotte offered a hesitant smile, "Maybe."

"You are planning on having children, aren't you?" Angie asked, her smile seemed to be frozen in place.

"Well..." said Charlotte, loathing being put on the spot in such a way, "to be honest, it's not something we've really discussed yet, at least not in too much depth."

"Is that why your last marriage ended?" Angie questioned, "The fact that you weren't willing to discuss it?"

Charlotte's knife sliced through the apple underneath with such force that the noise made her jump. _"Did she really just ask me that?" _she fumed, _"_What the _hell_...?"

"That would be between me and my ex," she responded, trying with all her power not to lose her temper at the woman beside her.

"All I mean, my dear," Angie continued, "is that if you haven't learned from your past mistakes, how on earth do you expect this next marriage to work out?"

Charlotte's mouth fell open, the sheer _audacity_... Who the hell did she think she was?

"I think I'm done with this conversation," she told her, biting back as much of her rage as possible as she stormed out the kitchen.

When Cooper returned with his father, half an hour later, he found his mother wordless in the kitchen and Charlotte barricaded in the bedroom.

"Char?" he said as he tried to push the door open, "Charlotte let me in."

Charlotte reluctantly opened the door, making no attempt to hide the scowl on her face- _"It's his own fault anyway," _she thought, _"why should I have to pretend everything's just peachy?"_

"Things didn't go too well while I was gone, huh?" he asked her, running his hand down the side of her arm.

"Just peachy." She replied, and refused to say any more about it.

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**A/N: I just wanted to ask if you would prefer frequent uploads (twice a week or so), with chapters being around this length. Or if you would prefer longer chapters of around 4000-5000 words (more than double the size of this chapter), which **_**would**_** mean bigger gaps between uploads...but more content per chapter. Let me know! =)**


	4. Chapter Four

**Wow, you guys are all so sweet! Thanks so much for all the lovely reviews, I really appreciate them and its really nice of you to take the time to type them. Thanks also for responding to my question at the end of last chapter, you all seem to prefer the idea of frequent, shorter chapters- so that's what I'll be doing. **

**This chapter is really just to get the story moving along a little, to allow the plot to start unfolding a little more in future chapters. Its shorter than last chapter, purely because I was alternating writing this with an essay for uni, but like I said, this one is purely to set up the plot a little. I hope you continue to enjoy it, and please keep reviewing! Next chapter should be up_ really _soon! =)**

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Chapter Four

After her disastrous encounter with Cooper's mother, Charlotte decided to get changed into something that exuded a little more confidence. She looked self-assured but comfortable, opting for an ensemble based on her work attire: a white shirt with three quarter length sleeves, tucked into a pair of smart grey trousers and a simple gold necklace. She figured she needed to inject a little 'Dr King, Chief of Staff' in her step if she was going to get through the day, _"Oh hell.." _she thought to herself_ "the next three days." _

Charlotte took a deep breath before leaving the safety of the bedroom, preparing herself for the inevitably awkward atmosphere she was about to step into. She was surprised to be stopped in her tracks by a seemingly perplexed Ted, who was in the process of climbing up the staircase to talk to her himself.

"Hey," he greeted softly, "I just wanted to apologize for Angie's behaviour, there's no acceptable excuse for the things she said..."

"She told you then? The questions she asked?"

"Yes she did," Ted sighed, raking his hand through salt and pepper hair. "I don't have a clue what got over her, she's been berating Coop for months about meeting you."

"It's alright," Charlotte mumbled, noting the shame in the man's voice.

"No its not, Charlotte, not at all," he insisted, "You're about to become a member of this family, you should feel welcome in our home."

To say that Ted was angry at his wife was an understatement, he was furious. As Cooper's parents, it was their job to support his decision to marry Charlotte, to make her feel accepted and welcomed into their family. It was _not _their job to interrogate the poor girl about her own business, least of all about such a personal matter. He was starting to wonder if Angie had insisted so strongly upon the visit in order to prevent this marriage from occurring. Whatever his wife's objective, Ted knew the exact cause of the problem, and as much as it pained him to admit it, he understood why she was so reluctant to let Charlotte marry their son. But the reason behind Angie's reservations was the reason why he respected Charlotte so much, why he could _relate _to her, why he thought she would be a damn good fit in their family.

"Look, you've been really kind to me," Charlotte told him, interrupting his train of thought, "and I appreciate it, I do, but if me being here is gonna cause any problems..."

"You stop right there, young lady," Ted replied, his tone mocking.

Charlotte placed her hands on her hips, laughter detected in her voice as she said "Well, I didn't really expect this visit to go _flawlessly_, I don't tend to make the greatest first impression in the world."

"You've been nothing short of lovely," Ted assured her. "I'd hoped, and I still hope, that you and I will stay in touch after you leave. I'd like us to have a relationship of sorts, if that's something you want, the last thing I want is for you to feel uncomfortable. You're going to be my daughter-in-law, family..."

"I see where Coop gets his rambling from," she joked, "I appreciate you sayin' all that, thank you."

Ted nodded, "Me and you, we have a lot more in common than you'd think."

"What do you mean?" Charlotte frowned.

"Just that we're not too different," he told her, "and if you ever need to, you can talk to me. Won't get back to anyone, you have my word."

"Again, I appreciate that, but I'm not sure I understand..."

Their conversation was cut short by the sound of the doorbell, and both adults descended downstairs.

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Rebecca was a waif-like brunette with long, straight hair and an innate self-confidence Charlotte rarely saw in anyone who wasn't a surgeon. After ten minutes into a conversation with the woman, Charlotte was already impressed; she was smart, gracious and seemed to obtain the same sense of kindness as her uncle. She and Cooper bounced off each other well, with Rebecca making fun of him at any opening window; the three shared a lively conversation until they were interrupted by her four year old daughter, Emma, who seemed to latch herself onto Cooper's leg.

"Cooper," she said, peering up shyly, "Want to play a game with me?"

"Emma, its very rude to interrupt adults when they're talking," Rebecca chastised.

"Its okay," said Cooper, "of course I'll play a game with you sweetie. What one do you want to play?"

"Fairies and dragons," Emma replied, before enthusiastically outlining the apparently very _complex_ details of the game.

Cooper shot Charlotte an apologetic smile and shot off outside with Emma. Charlotte and Rebecca continued their conversation, before being interrupted by Angie who was holding out plates of the apple pie she made earlier.

"Thanks," smiled Charlotte tightly, "looks lovely."

"Sure does," agreed Rebecca. "Thanks a lot."

"No problem, dear, I made it especially for you," Angie replied. "Charlotte helped."

Charlotte shook her head, "I chopped about one apple."

Rebecca laughed, "Well then thanks to both of you."

"Did you hear anything about that interview yet, Becca?" Angie asked, with a warmth in her tone Charlotte hadn't yet been graced with.

"Actually, its meant to be happening tomorrow but the babysitter's got the flu," Rebecca grimaced, "so I'm going to have to ask them to reschedule if possible."

"Oh no, dear, you can't do that," Angie exclaimed, "Just bring her over here, we'll be happy to look after her."

"That's so nice of you, Aunt Angie, but I thought you both had plans tomorrow afternoon."

"Oh yes,"she replied with a pitying look, "Bruce Johnson's wife, Maria, has just been diagnosed with cancer, the poor dear, and Bruce isn't a well man himself to begin with. Me and Ted _did_ offer to bring them some groceries, help out with the gardening, you know, whatever we can do to help..."

Charlotte looked at the two women, folded her arms and pressed her lips together. She was contemplating which was worse: playing Mary Poppins all afternoon, or playing another round of twenty questions with her wonderful mother-in-law.

"Me and Cooper are around," she said, looking up at Rebecca, "we could look after her while you're havin' your interview."

"Are you sure? Its a couple of hours drive from here, and the interview itself will probably take a good while..."

"Its no problem," Charlotte nodded, "I'm sure Coop won't mind. Heck, he'll be thrilled."

"Thank you so much," Rebecca grinned, pulling a startled Charlotte into a hug, "I really appreciate it."

"Like I said," Charlotte said, trying to politely pry herself from the woman's grip, "its no problem."


	5. Chapter Five

**Hi everyone, I just want to say thank you so much to everyone who reviewed last chapter, despite it being so short. You've all been so lovely and I hope this chapter is something you all enjoy, I had a lot of fun writing it! **

**Please keep reviewing, you're all wonderful!**

**Disclaimer: I own NONE of Private Practice, it all belongs to Shonda Rhimes and co.**

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Chapter Five

It was Charlotte's second morning in the Freedman house, and she had never missed L.A so much in her life. For reasons unbeknown to even herself, she was currently sitting cross legged on the bedroom floor, allowing a four year old to smear make-up all over her face. Emma had called it "beautification", Charlotte called it "worse than jail".

So, Charlotte sat there, legs cramping and cursing life's sick sense of humour as she opened one eye to glance in the mirror Emma was proudly holding up. She grimaced as she took in her reflection: her favourite, taupe eyeshadow both on her eyes and under them, pink lipstick applied well over the lip line, the same lipstick staining her cheeks and lip-liner having been used to draw a love heart on her right cheekbone. _"Maybe the circus is hiring," _she thought to herself, _"I'd give up my medical career right now if I could leave this house."_

"Its lovely, sweetheart," Charlotte said, with a firm nod in the child's direction.

"You look so be-yoo-tiful!" Emma sang, putting down the mirror to apply another layer of lipstick to Charlotte's mouth.

"Yes," Charlotte said, smiling uneasily. "Yes, I look lovely. Isn't there another game you'd rather play? You must be getting bored with this one already."

Charlotte saw a flicker of agreement in the child's eyes, _"Please, please let her be bored with this by now" _she pleaded. _"God, Buddah, whatever the hell is out there, just please let her be done."_

"Hmm..." Emma mumbled, as though deep in concentration, "Yeah. Oh I could do your hair all pretty, like Princess Jasmine's in Aladdin."

Charlotte's eyes grew wide, "I don't know about you, Emma, but I think I'm done with the 'beautifying'. You did such a good job with the make-up, I don't wanna ruin it, 'cause it all looks so perfect already."

"Yep, it does!" Emma grinned, clearly impressed with her handiwork.

"Why don't you pop downstairs and see if Cooper will get you a snack?" she asked, desperate to have five minutes alone to scrub her face.

"I'm not allowed snacks until after eleven o'clock," Emma whispered, looking at Charlotte with an awed expression.

"Well, I won't tell your Mommy if you won't." Charlotte whispered back, leaning into the child's ear as if she was telling her a secret.

A grin spread across Emma's face and in a split second she was charging down the stairs, hollering to Cooper: "Cooper, Cooper! Charlotte said I could have a snack if I wanted one, and I do. I promise she said I could, cross my heart."

Charlotte couldn't help but smile as she heard the little girl's pleas. "I did," she shouted from the bedroom, "give 'er what she wants."

"Correctamundo." Emma said with a nod, skidding into the kitchen in stripy pink socks.

* * *

When Charlotte came downstairs, make-up in its usual pristine condition, she found Cooper and Emma munching on muffins and exchanging 'knock knock' jokes in the kitchen.

"Knock, knock," Charlotte laughed as she entered the room. "Those look good."

"They're very, very, super, ultra good." Emma agreed, her brown ringlets bouncing as she nodded fiercely.

"How many has she had?" she asked, with a sideways look at Cooper.

"She's still on her first one," he said, raising his arms in mock defence, "I swear."

"Oh Lord..."

Cooper laughed, "She's just excited to have two playmates giving her their undivided attention. I'm sure she'll come off the ceiling soon."

"Here's hoping," Charlotte mumbled, reaching for the coffee pot. "Is there a park near here? Runnin' around a bit might burn off some of that energy."

"Yeah, there's one just round the corner," Cooper said. "You fancy a trip to the park, munchkin?"

Emma nodded as enthusiastically before, cheeks puffed out like a hamster's and chewing as quickly as she possibly could.

"Hey, you're not tryin' to set a world record," Charlotte chided, sipping on her coffee. "You'll be sick if you don't chew any slower."

"Meanie," Cooper joked, poking her in the ribs.

"Yeah, well if she throws up half way across the monkey bars don't say I didn't warn ya," she responded, throwing half a smile in Cooper's direction.

"Point taken," he grinned. "Hey Ems, what's your favourite thing to play with at the park?"

"I like the swings," Emma replied, swallowing hard, "but I like to go very, very high and I can't do it by myself."

"Well, I'm sure me and Charlotte can help you out with that," Cooper said. "Can't we, Char?"

"Sure thing," Charlotte smiled. She leaned into Cooper, whispering, "Just as long as she's not doing my make-up."

"Noted," he laughed. "Not something you wanna do again, huh?"

"Not really," she grinned, shaking her head.

* * *

They spent ten minutes on the swings before Emma got bored and wanted to move onto other things, something that was perfectly fine with Charlotte. She had grown incredibly anxious at just how high up Cooper was pushing the little girl, shrieking at him every thirty seconds or so to slow down. She did _not _want to be the person that 'broke' Rebecca's child, _"Imagine greeting her at the door with her baby girl screaming bloody murder, with a possible broken arm,"_ she had thought, _"Angie would just love me then."_

"Kids are resilient," Cooper reminded her, throwing his arm over her shoulders.

Charlotte visibly flinched as she watched Emma tear across the park, at what seemed like 100 miles an hour, to reach the playhouse.

"They're not indestructible, Coop!" She hissed, glaring as she looked up at him.

Cooper laughed, "Char, stop worrying so much. Honestly, she'll be fine."

"I run a _hospital _Cooper, there are hundreds of kids who pour into the ER with broken bones or needing stitches, all 'cause of a little accident at the park."

"Okay, and I'm a paediatrician. Children need to be able to run around and get a few scrapes here and there, you can't protect them from everything."

"Well, I plan on returning her to Rebecca in one piece; with _no _scrapes, scratches or bloody knees. So, you'll have to deal with my neurosis for a little longer, alright?"

"Alright," Cooper grinned, "but just try to relax a bit."

"Not plannin' on it," she replied, lifting her chin defiantly.

"Agh, woman!"he laughed, rolling his eyes. "Although, I have to admit, its kind of great seeing you in 'momma mode'."

"I'm not in 'momma mode'," Charlotte said, looking up at him, "its just common sense."

"Well, whatever it is, it suits you." Cooper smiled, "Even if you are being a little frustrating."

"I am not... Oh, what's the point?" she groaned, throwing her arms in the air.

They spent another thirty minutes or so sitting on a bench, watching Emma closely as she played with the other kids in the park. She occasionally called over to them when she wanted to show off, almost giving Charlotte a series of mini heart attacks as she attempted a handstand, or jumped off the monkey bar platform.

Cooper kept glancing at his fiancé, smiling as he watched her interact with Emma, and suppressing a full blown grin as she fretted over the child's safety. He had never seen Charlotte in this way before, and it fascinated him. He loved seeing her so completely wrapped up in caring for Emma; he knew she would be the last to admit it, but he could tell Charlotte was enjoying it all. In some ways, he wished they had Emma for the whole day. He made a note to beg Violet to go out more often, and let them babysit Lucas. It would be good for them as a couple, maybe it would give Charlotte peace of mind over the 'baby issues' she seemed to have. Cooper thought she would make a great mom, he just wished he could convince her of that fact too.

* * *

In the hours that passed, Charlotte had helped Emma draw a picture, teaching her how to pour glue on the page properly so the glitter stuck in all the places she wanted- which was from corner to corner, it seemed. There was gold, purple and silver glitter scattered across the entire table, the floor and caught in both girls' hair. However, Charlotte was surprised to realise that she didn't mind, _"Heck," _she thought, _"I'll clear it up later, or just leave it for Angie."_ She had actually begun to enjoy spending time with the little girl, and participating in all the daft activities she wanted to do. Whether that was making glitter pictures, building a fortress out of chairs and old blankets or playing the infamous 'Fairies and Dragons'- Charlotte was happy to oblige, and as a result Emma absolutely idolizedher by the time lunch rolled around.

"I've had lots and lots of fun." Emma said, smiling up at Charlotte as they ate their lunch at the (now clear) table.

"I'm glad about that, sweetheart, so have I," Charlotte nodded at the messy little girl sat beside her. "Although we should probably get you cleaned up before your mom picks you up."

Cooper laughed as he watched Emma's eyes grow wide at the thought, making a deliberate effort to chew slowly following Charlotte's warning earlier in the day.

"But I don't want to go home yet!" Emma pouted.

"Aww, munchkin, I'm afraid your mom's gonna want you back," Cooper told her. "I bet your she's been missing you all day at that boring interview."

Emma's face fell as she mumbled, "'Suppose so."

"Maybe you can come play again real soon, before me and Charlotte go back home," Cooper said, not being able to resist the puppy dog eyes Emma was bestowing on him. "We could do that, right Char?"

"Right," Charlotte nodded, "We'll ask your mom before you head home today, how's that?"

"That's really, really, really good!" Emma said, bouncing up and down in her seat.

"That's sorted then," Charlotte smiled. "Now sit down nice, or you really will be sick today."

"Okay," Emma replied, stopping her bouncing and sitting as still as a statue.

"You can move a little bit," Cooper whispered at her, "she won't tell you off for moving, so long as you don't bounce."

Emma grinned at him, "Thank you, Cooper."

At around two o'clock in the afternoon, Rebecca arrived to take Emma home. She'd brought them a box of chocolates in appreciation for looking after Emma, telling them that the interview went well and that she would love to come and see them before they left for L.A. She agreed come, with Emma, two days later- before they left that evening- telling Charlotte she was so glad they had the opportunity to finally meet, and _'she couldn't imagine how Cooper managed to catch such a great girl.' _

* * *

Enjoying the sudden peace and quiet, Cooper and Charlotte spent the remainder of the afternoon lounging on the sofa; absent mindedly watching television and making their way through the chocolates given to them by Rebecca.

Cooper had his arm around Charlotte, raking his fingers through her blonde hair as she lay with her head on his chest.

"I think we did pretty good today," he told her, rattling the box in front of her.

"Yeah," she agreed, selecting a chocolate from the box. "I'm exhausted now though."

"You were amazing," he said, smiling down at her.

She groaned, "Are we really gonna do this now?"

"Do what?" Cooper frowned.

"Have the baby talk," she looked up at him, quirking an eyebrow.

Cooper sighed, "I didn't mean it like that, I don't want to push you into talking about it before you're ready. Its okay, I get it."

They lay there in silence for a few minutes, the topic of conversation having been apparently dropped.

"I've been thinking about it, you know." Charlotte suddenly mumbled, "A lot more."

"Yeah?" Cooper asked, surprised.

"Kind of," she admitted. "Look, what I said before still stands. I'd be a horrible mother; I didn't exactly have the best role model in the world, heck, my momma left the nanny to do the job for her. I'm just not the 'mommy type'."

"Right..."

"And they'd probably end up worse than me, Cooper, 'cause I know I'd screw it up. They'd be emotionally stunted, damaged, neurotic, angry, control freaks... God, you name it."

"Char..."

"But sometimes, I think I'm being too harsh on myself. What if everything turned out okay? What if I wasn't all bad at the mommy thing? I mean, Big Daddy raised me too, not just Momma, and he was brilliant to me. Not without fault, mind you, we all have issues in my family..."

"Charlotte!" Cooper interrupted.

"What, Cooper? I'm talkin' here, I thought that was what you wanted."

"It is, God, it so is," he agreed, "but you were about to go round in circles. Char, did you not _see_ yourself today?"

"There's a big difference between watching a kid for one afternoon, and raising one for eighteen years!"

"Maybe so, but you were a natural with her, and besides that... You just don't get it do you?"

"Get what, Cooper?" she asked, annoyed.

"You're smart, Charlotte, more intelligent than everyone at the practice put together."

"Big whoop, you got a point?"

"Will you just let me finish?" he asked, still running his fingers through her hair. "You make me laugh, all the time. You're far more compassionate than anybody realizes, look at all the rules you've bent for my patients in the past. I know you said you did it for me, but be honest Char, there's a heart as big as Alabama in there."

"Whatever."

"You're freaky organized, and I know I've said before that it drives me up the wall but I'd be lost without you. I'd never find anything."

"Cooper..."

"You're brave, more so than anyone I've ever met."

"Please! Violet had her baby cut out by a crazed patient, I think that one goes to her."

"You're kind, and you're considerate... well, when you want to be. Look how you handled Violet after that attack, better than any of us that's for sure."

"The girl needed someone around her actin' normal, Coop, wasn't rocket science."

"Will you just let me tell you how wonderful you are?"

Charlotte scoffed, "I'm hardly what you call 'wonderful', Coop."

"You are, you so are and maybe you can't see it but I do. I see it every day."

Charlotte rolled her eyes, her cheeks reddening as she buried her face into Cooper's chest.

"Charlotte, I love you. You _are _wonderful, God, I think you're incredible."

"You need your head checked," she mumbled, her voice muffled as she talked into Cooper's jumper.

"Now, you may have doubts about your parenting skills, but I have absolutely none. Char, you'd make a fantastic mother, our kids would love you."

Charlotte lifted her head, looking Cooper in the eyes as she sat upright.

"What if they don't?" she asked, her voice soft and timid.

"Honey, there's no doubt about it." Cooper told her, looking in her eyes as if willing her to believe him.

* * *

**A/N: So, what do you think? Is Charlotte 'mommy material'? **


	6. Chapter Six

**Wow, I owe you all the biggest thank you for all your reviews! I've never had so many before, and I truly am so grateful for all your comments and feedback. I really appreciate you all taking the time to do that. =) I try to reply to you all directly, but I get so many anonymous reviews and I'm not able to respond if you don't have an account, so I thought I would say thank you on here too. It's much appreciated!**

**Anyway, I hope you all enjoy chapter six! Please keep reviewing =)**

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Chapter Six

As her third morning in the Freedman household arrived, Charlotte lay in bed with her face buried into the pillow- adamantly sure that her head was about explode at any given moment. She had tossed and turned all night long, the 'baby debate' constantly swimming around in her mind. _Should she or shouldn't she? Could she really deny Cooper a child? How would she ever learn to be a good mother? Oh God, they don't stay babies forever, how the hell would she cope with a __teenager__? Was bad parenting genetic?_ The cycle was never ending, and despite not getting a wink of sleep, she still hadn't managed to figure it all out.

"Cooper," she whispered, turning her head towards the sleeping mound next to her.

"Cooper," she hissed more forcefully, giving him a tentative poke on the shoulder.

"Mmphhff."

"Cooper, wake up!" Charlotte said loudly, resorting to giving him a light shove.

"I'm up, I'm up..." Cooper murmured, groaning as he glanced at the clock. "Charlotte, its not even six o'clock yet!"

"Yeah, I know."

"Are you not feeling well or something?"

"I'm fine," she mumbled, "well, not completely fine... but fine nonetheless."

"Char, you're not making any sense. Go back to sleep."

"I never _was _asleep," she moaned, sitting herself up on the bed. "I wouldn't have woken you, but you made all this fuss about us sharin' what we're feelin' and right now I'm pissed off."

Cooper, following suit, pulled himself up on the bed, and sat up straight next to Charlotte. "How can you be pissed off already?" he groaned incredulously. "Its not even _six_..."

"I'm pissed off 'cause I did nothing but lie awake all night, thinking 'bout this baby stuff you keep banging on about 24/7."

"So... you're mad at _me?_"

"Yes."

"Well that's rational..."

"I never said it was rational, Coop, just that it's how I'm feelin'."

"Alright..." Cooper said slowly, confused and still half asleep, "Can I do anything to help with that?"

"If you think I'm havin' sex in your parents house..." she hissed.

"Hey, hey," he raised his hands in defence, "who said anything about sex?"

"Sorry, I'm just... Oh, I don't even know any more," she sighed. "Forget it, go back to sleep."

Cooper lay down, pulling Charlotte into his arms. "We'll work this out," he reassured her, "it's just gonna take some time, all the big decisions do."

"Right, but what if we _do _manage to work this out, and I have the kid and then I screw it up? What then?"

"That's not going to happen, Char," he sighed.

"It might. Then you'll hate me, and the kid will hate me, and _I'll_ hate me..."

"I'll never hate you," he told her, "and neither will our kids. They will love you, I will _still_ be loving you and you won't screw anything up. I know you, Char, you _will not _screw it up, no more so than any parent on the planet."

"Maybe," she whispered, so softly he barely heard it.

* * *

It was 9am when Angie joined Ted in the living room: he was sitting reading the latest goings on in the newspaper, as she sat beside him on the sofa, glancing at him anxiously.

"Oh for goodness sake!" She cried, making her husband jump a little at the sudden burst of volume. "I'm sick of you giving me the cold shoulder, just say what you have to say, but for the love of God say something."

"All I did was read the paper," he mumbled to himself, folding it over and placing it on the coffee table in front of him.

"Exactly!" Angie exclaimed, a flush developing around her neck, "You're either reading the paper, or watching some nonsensical documentary on the television, or pottering around in the garden, or running errands... anything to avoid engaging in conversation with me."

Ted sighed, raking his hand through his hair- a nervous trait that he had passed onto his son. "Well, what do you expect me to say, Angie? You know my opinion on all of this, and you seem to completely disagree with me. What more is there to discuss?"

"Do you honestly not see where I'm coming from?" She asked him, raising her voice slightly in her upset. "Has your mind been wiped blank, or do you simply not remember what it was like?"

"You need to keep your voice down, Ange, the kids will hear you from upstairs."

"Cooper's certainly not a kid any more, Ted," she said, her voice softening a little, "you can't hide this from him forever."

"We've done pretty well with that so far," he told her, meeting her eyes. "There's no point in him knowing, not now, what use would it be?"

"Well, for one, he'd maybe see I've not acting like the mother from Hell this week after all," Angie sighed, "but that's beside the point. Look, if he marries Charlotte and he goes through what I went through with you... I can't bear the thought of it."

Ted's eyes slipped from her gaze, and he reached for her hand. "Oh honey, you can't compare my experience to Charlotte's, it's not fair on the girl."

"I know that," she sighed, "and I know that she may never relapse like you did. She could be a great wife to our son, a wonderful mother to our grandchildren and she may never fall back into that hole... but then again, she _could_ fall back into it. Cooper would be crushed, and if they have children it would devastate their whole family. Cooper _needs _children in his life, we both know that, and I want nothing else than for him to experience the joy that they bring. But think of what they might go through, Ted, what they could _all _go through. I'm thinking about Charlotte too here, do you think she'd be able to forgive herself?"

"You can't make any predictions that she'll relapse; she's a determined soul, and Cooper is fully aware of her past with addiction. I'm sure he's thought about it plenty, but he loves her and wants to marry her and we have to respect that."

"I just don't think he fully understands what he could be letting himself in for," Angie admitted, her voice beginning to shake. "I went through it twice with you, Ted. _Twice._ And it was soul destroying."

"I can't change the past, no matter how much I want to," he told her, his own voice strong and steady. "But me and Charlotte, we're two different people with two different experiences. We weren't even addicted to the same substance, Ange."

"Just because alcohol was your poison, doesn't mean I don't understand how Charlotte's addiction could affect Coop, Ted." Angie bit her lip in an attempt to gather her composure, her shoulders shuddering. "Coop was two years old the first time, do you remember? You'd come home, stumble through the front door, and create merry hell depending on what mood you'd gone out with. And you were a nasty drunk too, didn't give your son the time of day, not like you did when we first brought him home. It was like your whole personality changed overnight. Even when the alcohol had worn off you were too hungover to do anything but hunt for the bottle of vodka you'd hidden somewhere in the house. That or you'd be an emotional wreck, crying about how sorry you were that you were such a mess, and even that was only towards the end when you actually began to admit you had a problem."

"Angie, I'm not excusing what I did, or pretending that it was easy to overcome. It wasn't, it was a living nightmare; not only for me, but for you too. I get that, I do."

"I know you do, and I'm not trying to make you feel guilty about it all over again, but I'm not going to pretend either. It was the worst time of my life."

"I know it was, but that doesn't mean our Coop with have to deal with that. Charlotte's beaten it once, who's to say she's not beaten it for good?"

"I thought you'd beaten it for good, you'd think you had, having been sober for twenty years. But then you relapsed, thank god Cooper had moved out by that point. I had to make up so many excuses why he couldn't visit us in the holidays."

"Ange..."

"You broke my heart all over again. No, you shattered it, I genuinely thought about leaving you, did you know that?"

"I'm so sorry."

"Well then, why would you want to risk putting our son through that? We're meant to protect him from ever having that kind of heartache in his life."

"We may be his parents, and yes, we're supposed to be his fiercest protectors. But we can't dictate who he invites into his life, Angie. He loves her, and I think she deserves a chance at happiness too."

"I'm not going to let him do this without having all the facts," she informed him, her eyes growing determined. "I'm sure Charlotte is a lovely girl, and I'm sure she's as strong as they come... and if he still wants to marry her then I'll support him and try to accept her with open arms. But I just can't let him do this without knowing the risks, without knowing what I went through... Ted, he needs to know."

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**A/N: So what do you think so far? =)**


	7. Chapter Seven

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**Gosh, I apologize for the delay in updating, university has been pretty full on lately and I've had some personal things going on... but I'm back in full swing and hope to get this finished within the week!**

**Thanks so much for reviewing the last chapter, I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year =) Please keep reviewing, it honestly makes my day to hear what you guys have to say.**

**I put in quite a bit of CharCoop fluff this chapter, I'm having withdrawl symptoms at the moment, the programme hasn't aired for weeks. I hope you all enjoy it. **

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When an emotionally exhausted Charlotte and Cooper ventured into the kitchen to make their morning coffee, both sensed the exceedingly uncomfortable atmosphere between the two elders of the Freedman household. Ted was leaning against the counter reading the last section of his newspaper, eyes boring a hole through the one page he had been staring at for approximately thirty minutes; Angie,with her lips pressed together so tightly they seemed to form a single line, was cleaning frantically, moving from room to room as if trying to win a race.

Cooper poured two lots of coffee into the cups set before him, handing the first to Charlotte as she studied the scene before her.

"Your mother's buzzing around like a bumble bee on crack," she announced, her green eyes looking up to meet his own.

Cooper could only nod at her remark.

"And if your father stares at that thing any longer he's gonna go cross eyed," she added, her hair flipping outwards as she angled her head to the side, attempting to further take in the situation.

"What the hell's going on?" Cooper whispered.

"Y'alright, Ted?" Charlotte asked the gentleman loudly, frowning when she was met with no response. "I'll take that as a no..." she muttered at Cooper.

"Something's definitely going on," he mumbled, "it's a big bag of weird in here."

"Copy that," she sighed, grateful for the hit of caffeine entering her bloodstream.

Angie charged through the hallway, trailing an unplugged vacuum cleaner behind her as she sprayed heavy doses of air freshener into the space. Banging the canister onto the sideboard, she kicked the plug into the socket and sprung the vacuum into action.

"Mom... Mom!" Cooper called, grimacing at the sudden burst of noise. "Mom, what the hell is going on?"

"What's that, dear?" Angie yelled, pacing up and down the hallway in straight lines.

Cooper walked into the hallway and turned off the switch operating the vacuum. "What the _hell_ is going _on_?" he demanded.

"There's no need to take that tone," she chastised, "we'll talk about it later."

"When later?"

"How about lunchtime? We'll have something to eat together, just me and you, okay?"

Cooper groaned, "Mom, you can't exclude Charlotte like that, I'm sick of your..."

"Cooper," Angie interrupted, "I have no intention of excluding the girl, I've asked your father to take her out to a nice café or something while we talk. But it has to be just the two of us, alright?"

"I don't get this," he told her, "I really don't."

"We'll talk about it later, I promise." Angie offered her son a small smile, "Now go on, enjoy your morning... Go on!"

Charlotte peered over the rim of her coffee cup, her eyes darting between Cooper and Angie, observing the woman's uncomfortable body language and Cooper's hesitance at leaving her be. Sipping at the now half full cup, she turned her stare towards her future father in law, noting his frequent little sighs and set jaw.

Charlotte placed her cup beside the sink and walked towards him, placing her hand on his shoulder as she said, "Whatever it is, I'm sorry it happened."

Ted's hands shook, rustling the paper between them. Giving him a single nod, Charlotte walked out of the kitchen, grabbing Cooper's hand and giving it a comforting squeeze as she breezed through the hallway.

"Let's go take a walk," she said, "I think we could use some fresh air."

Cooper ran his free hand through his hair, using the other to tighten his grip on Charlotte's. "Yeah," he replied, his voice cracking. "Let's do that."

* * *

Coat on and shoes laced, Cooper walked hand in hand with Charlotte on their way to...well, wherever they ended up. A small smile passed his lips as he realised what a rare occurrence this was, Charlotte almost never held his hand in public. She had once told him that it was for _"loved up thirteen year olds, not for two grown adults." _Cooper traced his thumb across the side of her hand, leaning down to place a kiss on the top of her head, taking note of the slight curl she had styled in her blonde locks earlier that morning.

"Where we goin', Coop?" she asked, squinting up at him, the dull glare of the sun obstructing her view.

Cooper shrugged his shoulders. "Not sure yet," he admitted.

"You thinkin' about your parents?"

"Yeah, I've got this uneasy feeling about it all, you know?"

"I get it," Charlotte nodded, "family dramas tend to do that. Lord knows I've had my fair share of them with my lot."

"Well, if they're anything like you I can understand why." Cooper teased, throwing his arm around her shoulders.

"Watch it." She warned him, tossing one of her trade-mark glares his way.

Cooper laughed, opting against removing his arm from Charlotte's shoulders, he liked the closeness, especially in situations like these. There was something about being in Charlotte's presence that made him feel warm, at home, wherever they were. As frustrating as she was at times, and God could she be frustrating, she was his family- plain and simple- the family he chose for himself. And he treasured that fact, and he loved her all the more for choosing him too.

Cooper pulled Charlotte closer to him, swinging her around to face him. Before he could be met with another of her '_freakin' adorable' _glares, he kissed her, long and tenderly on the lips.

Pulling back from the kiss, after a good minute or two, Charlotte tossed her hair back, pouting a little as she did so. "You're all lovey dovey in Akron," she complained jestingly, her southern drawl ever prominent. "Can't take you anywhere."

"Wait 'til after the wedding," he mused, "I'm gonna have to dial it up a notch then, honeymoon phase and all that. PDAs left, right and centre."

Charlotte shoved him lightly in annoyance, her thick eyelashes blinking up at him as she said: "Don't you dare go doin' that to me, last thing I need is you acting all loved up in front of my staff at the hospital. Can't have you tarnishing my reputation, making them think I've gone all soft..."

"You _are_ soft," he smirked, "that shell of yours isn't nearly as tough as you make it out to be. You're forgetting I know you, and your whole gooey centre."

"Dammit," she groaned, smiling a little as he wrapped his arm around her once more."Guess I'm stuck with you then."

"Always," he affirmed.

* * *

"Ted, what's all this about?" Charlotte asked the man sat across from her, her patience wearing thin. "Angie's having some sort of heart to heart with Coop back at the house; you hauled me out to some café, as if you couldn't get out of there fast enough... I'm fed up of this, what the hell happened back there?"

"I was an alcoholic," he announced suddenly, correcting himself, "_am _an alcoholic. Recovery is a life long process, as I'm sure you know."

Charlotte took in a sharp breath, "Coop told you about the pills, huh?"

"It came up," he nodded.

"Brilliant," she groaned, shaking her head in disbelief. "So... what? I don't get it. Are you drinking again or somethin'?"

"Haven't touched it since I relapsed about eight years ago."

"Uh huh," Charlotte frowned. "Well then, I still don't get it."

"Angie's in the process of telling Cooper right now, that's why we've been sent off out somewhere."

Charlotte looked up from her lunch, exhaling heavily. "He won't react nearly as bad as you're thinking, you know," she informed him.

"Once he hears how I treated his mother back then, I'm guessing he'll react exactly like I'm picturing."

"Look, you and I don't know each other that well, I get it. But as far as Coop's concerned you've been nothin' other than a great father to him his whole life, he's sure as hell goin' to lend you some forgiveness."

"It's not just about his forgiveness Charlotte, it's about his respect. He's never going to look at me the same way again, knowing everything that happened..."

"No, he won't," Charlotte informed him, matter of factly, "but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. You've got your demons, just like the rest of us, and he's gonna realise you aren't perfect but he's also gonna see that you're stronger than he ever gave you credit for. It might take him a while to wrap his head around the whole thing, but he'll get there, and if he takes too long then I promise that I'll shove him there myself."

A small laugh escaped Ted, "You're good for him, you know that?"

"I know," Charlotte smirked. "And I'm about to sound like a bitch here, but I'm glad you're one of my kind. Makes a lot of sense."

"I've got your back, kid," Ted said with a smile.

"I might just have to hold you to that," Charlotte retorted, "I take it this talk your missus is having with Coop is to warn him about the dangers of living with an addict?"

"Oh yeah."

"Great," Charlotte said, scrunching up her nose, "that's great."

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**A/N: I hope to have the next chapter up by tomorrow afternoon. Please do review, let me know what you think! Did you like the fluff? =)**


	8. Chapter Eight

**Hi everyone,**

**Once again, thank you so much for your reviews, it means a lot that you guys took the time to do that. I know this is a few hours late, I got caught up talking on the phone... oops, my apologies. But I put in fluff to make up for it, and I promise you another chapter will be up at some point tomorrow. =)  
**

**I've not put a disclaimer in for a few chapters, so...**

**DISCLAIMER: I own absolutely NONE of Private Practice, it all belongs to Shonda Rhimes. **

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Angie studied her son's face as she dished out her revelations: he hadn't moved a single muscle, not even a twitch at the mouth or a sigh of surprise. Nothing.

"Cooper," she stated, her voice taking on a motherly tone, "it's okay to be taken aback by the news, but an indication of comprehension at some point would be nice."

Cooper cleared his throat. "I have a question," he stated, pursing his lips together, undoubtedly a Charlotte habit he had picked up over time.

"Alright," Angie replied, thankful that he had begun talking.

"Why the hell are you bringing this up now?"

Angie had not been expecting the harshness in her son's tone, raising her eyebrows she simply replied: "I thought you needed to know."

"Maybe eight years ago, sure, I'd have bought that," he huffed, a flash of anger in his eyes. "That would have made sense, I could have helped in some way, but _now?_ Why now, Mom?"

"I thought it was best, so you know what you could be getting yourself into..."

"You're trying to get me to dump my _fiancé_ three months before our wedding date? Am I right?."

"I'm just concerned that you've not given that aspect of Charlotte's life proper consideration. I'm not telling you to end the relationship, dear, I'm just saying it's something you need to start thinking over in some depth."

"You seriously think this is something I've just glossed over? I'm an adult, Mom, in an adult relationship, and Charlotte was open about it as soon as things started to get serious."

"But have you ever _discussed _it?"

"We don't need to! I know her; she's strong, she realized she had a problem and got the help she needed to fix it. She's not Dad, she didn't need someone to drag her there kicking and screaming, she was strong and she has _continued _to be strong."

"But she could stop being strong, she could slip and fall back into that hole. Have you thought about how that would affect your relationship? God forbid you ever have children..."

"Stop right there!" Cooper yelled, rising to his feet. "I love Charlotte, she's my whole _life._ There may be things that are still too raw for her to talk about, but that does not mean I don't know her inside and out. If that problem ever returns, she _will_ get help. She will tell me and she will get help."

"You're being naïve Cooper," Angie scoffed, her son had never raised his voice at her before and to be honest, she wasn't quite sure how to react.

"Believe it or not, Mom, you're the one being naïve," Cooper said, his voice shaking as he attempted to reign in his anger. "Naive about Charlotte: about her capabilities and about her sheer determination. She was raised by an addict, she is well aware of the effects it has on a marriage, and even more aware as to how it would affect our kids. She's not perfect, but she would not jeopardize any aspect of our life together in any way. Not any more."

"Well, I hate to break it to you, but I thought that about your father. And look what happened there."

"Everything about Charlotte's circumstances were completely different," Cooper roared, exasperated. "I'm sorry you went through so much with Dad, okay, I really am. But this has nothing to do with my relationship, and Charlotte is far stronger than you could ever hope to realize. We've been through so much together and managed to storm through it all, and if this problem ever arises for her again she'll make damn sure that we get through that too."

"How can you be so certain?"

"Because I trust her!" He yelled.

Cooper tore through the living room, and out into the street, his blood practically boiling. He needed air; he needed to calm down and he needed to breathe. _"Actually, screw that,"_ he thought. He needed to find Charlotte.

* * *

Charlotte was still sitting across from Ted when her phone started to ring. "It's Cooper," she informed him, gently biting her lower lip before answering the call.

"Hey, you alright?" She asked him immediately.

"Yeah. No," Cooper sighed, shaking his head on the other end of the line, "where are you?"

"I'm still at that café with your dad, 'Café Rodriguez' or something, you nearby?"

"About ten minutes away, can I meet you? Go for another walk or something?"

"Of course, I'll wait for you outside."

"Char," he replied, a note of hesitance in his tone, "can you make sure Dad's gone by then? I can't deal with him right now."

Charlotte glanced at the anxious man across the table, tossing him a regretful look. "Yeah, don't worry about it."

"Thanks," he told her, before hanging up.

Charlotte put her phone back into it's designated pocket in her handbag. "Cooper's comin' here in ten minutes," she said, her voice laced with pity, "I don't think you should be here, probably best to wait 'til he's had some time to think about everything."

Ted nodded."That sounds about right, I'll start making a move then."

"You gonna be okay?"

"Absolutely," he confirmed, giving Charlotte a weak smile, "and I appreciate your company, you've been very kind to a silly old fool."

Charlotte returned the gesture with a slight smile of her own, "We all do things we're not proud of, it's what you do after that counts."

"I'll see you later on, kid," he said, dropping a few notes on the table to pay the bill.

Charlotte said her goodbyes and watched him walk out of the door, waiting a few minutes before she did the same herself. She waited for Cooper, both anxious and fearful of what this conversation would entail. _"He's such a momma's boy," _she thought to herself, tossing her eyes skyward and exhaling slowly,_"but this will be fine. This will be totally fine,"_

* * *

Charlotte and Cooper had been walking through town for approximately fifteen minutes, in total silence. Cooper was still in the process of calming himself down, and Charlotte was too nervous about what was to come to consider breaking the quiet. The two were touching, but barely, with the sides of their arms pulling towards each other like a magnet. Still, it was a far cry from the hand holding they had participated in earlier, and Charlotte couldn't help but consider that it might not be a good sign.

Finally, Cooper looked in her direction, but with her eyes still firmly focused on the ground below her, Charlotte did not notice. He took the opportunity to analyse her features for a brief moment: the slope of her nose, her worried pout, her paled complexion. Cooper stopped walking: gently grabbing her arm, he pulled her over to a bench that looked over some greenery, handing Charlotte a pretzel from a paper bag he had bought on the way.

"I know you've already eaten..."

"No, I'm hungry, thanks," she said, grateful to have something else to focus on other than the pavement.

"Mom told me something earlier. Lectured me actually," he began.

"Uh huh," Charlotte replied, picking at her pretzel with no desire to consume it.

Cooper sighed, "Did you hear the story from my father already?"

"Yeah, kind of."

"Right."

The pair re-entered their earlier silence, with Charlotte still breaking off chunks of her food and Cooper looking for answers in the palms he had clasped over his knees.

"You still wanna marry me?" She asked him suddenly, forcing herself to drag her eyes over to meet his own.

"What? Of course, why would you even ask me that? Of course I do," he replied, frowning in his confusion.

"I get it," she said, preparing to activate her defences if needs be. "If you're having second thoughts, don't worry, I get it."

"Char, I'm not having second thoughts," he assured her, reaching for her hand. "Believe me."

Charlotte didn't respond, opting instead to press her lips together and look away from him once more.

"Okay, you have to stop," he instructed, his tone firm.

Whipping her head around, ready for confrontation, Charlotte raised her eyebrows as she demanded: "Stop what?"

"This. All the doubting and scenarios you have playing in your head, they need to stop now."

Charlotte's expression began to soften, but still managing to somehow hiss her response: "Fine."

"Because I'm not going anywhere."

"I said, 'fine'!"

"Good," he said, rolling his eyes in amusement.

"And you can stop _that!"_

"What?"

"The eye-rolling."

"Fine," he joked, his expression playfully defiant.

"Lord, no wonder you're a paediatrician. It's a meeting of the minds between you and those kids."

"Woman, my mental age halted at around nineteen, not ten."

Charlotte offered a small laugh, "Fine."

Cooper smiled reassuringly, he wasn't used to Charlotte acting so openly insecure. "I love you," he assured her.

"It's that simple?"

"Yes."

"But..."

"Trust me."

Charlotte sighed, "It's not going to happen again, I'm not in that place any more."

"I know."

"And even if it does..."

"We'll get through it, like we got through everything else."

Charlotte couldn't help but laugh at his remark, "Hopefully not _exactly_ like we did before."

"We screwed that up, sure, but we got there."

"We did," she nodded.

"And whatever mess we get ourselves into- 'cause let's face it, knowing us there's likely to be something- we'll make sure to get through it _better _than we did before."

"I can get on board with that," she smiled.

"Well, alright then."

"Coop..."

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about your father."

"We can talk about that later, let's just sit for now. "

"Anything to delay having to see your mother," she groaned.

Cooper lent down, lifting her chin with his hand, he kissed her softly. "You're my family," he whispered, "our life together means everything to me. Nothing will ever change that."

"Mm, Coop..."

"Uh huh?"

"I love you too."

* * *

**A/N: I think there's only a couple of chapters left until the epilogue, and I'm really excited to finish this. I've started to work on another Charlotte/Cooper story that I will probably start uploading this weekend. Anyway, let me know what you thought of this chapter, I love to read any reviews you guy's have. =)**


	9. Chapter Nine

***Ahem*... so this chapter is up a little late, I know. To be perfectly honest I went out partying, and by partying I mean _partying,_ and felt far too rough (*cough* hungover) the next day to cope with the glare of my computer screen. **

**Anyway, after a solid ten or so hours of sleep, _many _glasses of water and few aspirin later I finally finished chapter nine! So, I hope you enjoy it. =)**

**Once again, thank you so much for reviewing the last chapter! You're all so sweet in your comments, and they're genuinely lovely to read.**

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Charlotte and Cooper eventually dragged themselves back to the house in the late afternoon; both were reluctant to endure the inevitably awkward atmosphere that was coming their way, but realised that, realistically, they were unable put it off any longer. Closing the front door behind them and shrugging off their coats, the couple gingerly entered the living room where a distressed Angie had been waiting for their arrival.

Charlotte gave the woman a tight smile, before looking up at Cooper, who in turn was staring blankly at the wall. He clearly wasn't his mother's biggest fan at that moment in time, nor did he feel any desire to make an effort.

"Hi, son," greeted Ted, attempting to sound somewhat cheerful, despite his gravelly tone.

Cooper had been unaware of his father's entrance, and was caught off guard by the sound of his voice.

"Dad." Cooper stated, turning to face his father, and exhaling heavily.

He noticed Charlotte's eyes widening briefly, taking on that startled expression she always did when she felt uncomfortable. Crossing her arms and leaning into Cooper's side ever so slightly, she mumbled: "Might be best if you talked to him sooner rather than later, get it over with."

"And leave you alone in here? I don't think so, Char."

"I'm a big girl," she whispered, "I'll be fine. Talk to him."

With that, Cooper felt a small shove at the side of his back, with Charlotte giving a not-so-subtle nod in his father's direction.

"Alriiight," Cooper hissed back at her, "I get the message."

Ted grinned nervously, "You do realise we can hear you, right?"

"Mm, Charlotte's about as subtle as a gun." The remark was met with a trade-mark glare from his fiancé.

Ted gave a small laugh appreciatively. "Shall we make the woman happy?" he asked, signalling towards the modest dining room that lurked between the living room and kitchen.

Cooper hesitated for a moment, reluctant to leave Charlotte trapped alone with his mother. Looking back towards Charlotte; and being met with one of her bossy, pointed looks; he eventually followed his father's lead.

* * *

Ted and Cooper were seated at the table; Cooper had his hands clasped in front of him, while Ted absent-mindedly fidgeted with his watch.

"I don't blame you for anything," Cooper told him, "just wanted you to know that."

Ted swallowed hard. "Thanks, son."

"It's a disease, and you fought it. And I respect that."

"I was atrocious back then..."

"Maybe, but you didn't give in. You fought."

"I tried," Ted nodded, "doesn't make up for how I acted though. Nothing could even begin to cover that."

"No," Cooper admitted, "But Mom knows you fought for _her_, and that's what matters. You can't spend the rest of your life making up for your mistakes, it doesn't work that way. You admit to them, accept them, and you move on."

Ted sighed, "You make it sound so much easier than it is."

Coop gave a saddened smile. "I wish you'd told me though, back then. I could have done something, helped somehow..."

"No," Ted stated, firmly. "Coop, I'm your father, and it's my duty to protect you, plain and simple. Not to make you suffer through that kind of heartache. I would rather have died than let you see me in that state."

"It's in the past now, and I honestly don't think that dwelling on it would be good for either of us." Cooper said, his tone reassuring. "But I need you to promise me something."

"Whatever you need."

"If you ever relapse again, I want to know."

"Cooper..."

"No, Dad, I need to know. I'm a grown man, I can deal with it, but I need to be able to help you. I need to _know_ that you'll let me help you."

Ted looked down at the table, then met his son's eyes. "I _will _let you help me."

"Thank you," said Cooper, smiling at his father.

"I'm proud of you, Coop." Ted admitted. "Of how you've turned out; your choices, your values... I'm really proud of you."

"Thanks Dad," replied Cooper, his expression softening, and emotional at his father's open admission.

"So... You think we should go back in there?" Ted asked his son, recalling Cooper's earlier reluctance at leaving Charlotte.

The two listened carefully for any sign of life emitting from the wall beside them.

"Honestly?" Cooper hesitated, "I think Charlotte's expecting this talk to last longer."

"Don't want to be on the receiving end of another earful?" Ted grinned.

"Not really," Cooper laughed. "Fancy some coffee?"

"Sounds like a plan," agreed Ted.

* * *

Charlotte remained stood by the living room door, arms folded and not quite sure of which move to make next. Shifting her weight briefly to her other leg, she looked down at the carpet before glancing around the room.

"Why don't you sit down?" Angie questioned, an unevenness in her tone.

"To be honest I'm more relaxed at the thought of being next to an open door," Charlotte snipped, determined to make a quick get away if needs be.

Angie sighed, "We got off on the wrong foot, you and I."

"I didn't," Charlotte stated, matter of factly. "I was polite, I smiled, and I was more open to conversation than I've ever been in my life, 'cause I wanted to make an effort."

"I hate to point out the obvious, but you're not exactly making an effort right now, dear."

"Well, I don't exactly see the point any more," Charlotte shrugged. "You don't want me in Cooper's life, and it doesn't seem like we're destined to get along, so I figured why force it?"

"Just sit down," Angie replied, "we owe it to Cooper to at least try to sort our differences out."

Charlotte pouted, and considered her options. "Fine, you win," she said, her expression unchanged, "I'll sit down."

"Thank you."

"So, what now?" Charlotte asked, a little defiance thrown in for good measure. The last thing she needed was to seem weak, she wasn't known for backing down in a fight and she sure as hell wasn't about to start now.

"Now, we talk." Angie said, flippantly.

"About the pills, I take it?"

"Whatever you want."

"Well then, I'm gonna choose not to discuss that."

"Fine."

"Great."

The two sat there in stony silence, unsure of how to start the conversation.

"We've been through a lot, me and Cooper," Charlotte began. "I'm not about to go screwin' it up."

"Well, sometimes love just isn't enough."

"Or maybe you just don't have me sussed as well as you think."

"I know you've had your fair share of problems, Charlotte, and I commend you for getting through them like you have. But it's time to start thinking realistically about this."

"Who's to say I haven't?"

"Well then, answer me this," Angie retorted. "Why were you so reluctant to discuss the possibility of children with Cooper?"

"The ins and outs of our relationship really aren't any of your business."

"There you go, burying your head in the sand."

"I am not burying..."

"Yes, you are."

"Fine!" Charlotte hissed, exasperated. "Maybe it was an issue for me, before, but it's not any more."

"So it just suddenly evaporated, just like that?"

"No," she replied, making an effort to soften her tone. "Look, my momma was a nightmare, alright? A complete and utter nightmare; she was drunk all day, took god knows what, and left the nanny to do her mothering for her. And I was worried about turning into her, I'll be honest, and I was terrified of becoming a parent because of that."

"And now?"

"This whole thing... Cooper's reaction... it made me realise what a different person I am. I would never put my children through that, not under any circumstances. I am not my mother, and I trust myself enough to not make her mistakes."

"But you did make one of her mistakes. You might not have had children Charlotte, but you still became an addict."

Charlotte groaned, this conversation was getting more emotional every second it went on. She hated discussing her past, and with Cooper's mother of all people.

"I picked up one of her problems, yes, because it seemed like a normal 'out' to me when things got tough. I knew it'd wreak havoc with my life, but since it was only me in it, I didn't really care. So I took pills, 'cause my life was screwed up, and I needed to numb it. I didn't see the harm in screwin' it up a little more, if it made all the other stuff less painful. But it didn't work that way, I turned into a mess, and I got some help."

"It was that easy for you to get help? Because, to be quite frank, I can't imagine you just accepted it and made a phone call."

"God no, it's not something we do in our family, admitting defeat. But I turned into someone I didn't recognize, and I hit some real dark lows, and I knew... 'cause of Momma, how I'd end up. So I swallowed my pride, took all the strength I had left in me, and took the steps I needed to pull myself outta the darkness."

Angie remained quiet.

"It was the hardest thing I've ever done," Charlotte admitted, "but I wanted my life back."

"I admire that," Angie admitted, "but what if you do relapse? If something happens later on down the line and you're sucked back into that state again: you'd be jeopardizing your marriage to Cooper, hurting your family..."

"I won't," Charlotte stated, resolutely. "I know who I am, and I know that Coop can handle anything I throw at him. If the craving ever becomes that strong again, or I give in to it, I _will_ be honest with him. Heck, he'll probably be more shocked at the honesty than the action."

"You think that now but..."

"No." Charlotte said, firmly. "I _know _that. You don't know me, Angie, and I'm not Ted."

"And what do you mean by that?" Angie asked, her own defences beginning to rise.

"Look, I'm not one for all the emotional, touchy feely, crap," Charlotte stated. "It annoys me and I don't like sticking my nose into other people's business. But, I think this is more about your issues with your husband than about me."

"Ted and I are absolutely fine, thank you very much."

"I'm sure you are, and I think your husband is a great man, but it doesn't seem to me like you've managed to forgive him, and that's somethin' you might want to work on first, before advisin' Coop on who he should be marrying."

Before Angie could respond, Charlotte stood up, realising that the conversation had gone as far as it was going to.

"I'm gonna wait upstairs for Cooper, 'cause I honestly don't think we have much more to talk about."

Angie gave a non-committal grunt of acknowledgement, and watched as Charlotte left the room. The girl had hit a nerve, even she could recognize that.

* * *

**A/N: Please review! =) I honestly appreciate you guys taking the time to do that. There's only one more chapter left in this I'm predicting, and then the epilogue. I'll start uploading my new fic when this one is finished, so that will probably be up around Monday/Tuesday time.**


	10. Chapter Ten

**Life decided to go all 'full on' again, university decided to start dishing out essays and I have an exam this week. So I apologize for the delay! Here is the second to last chapter though, I have the next one half finished and the epilogue planned out in my mind... **

**Thanks so much again for all your sweet reviews :) You're all awesome.**

***Fluff alert!***

* * *

"There you are," Cooper said softly, entering the couple's borrowed bedroom, "I was looking about downstairs for you."

"Your mom not tell you I was up here?" Charlotte replied, standing up from the bed and folding her arms laxly.

Cooper shook his head, "Wasn't down there either."

"Huh." Charlotte's eyes darted to the side, before concentrating them back on her fiancé, "So, how'd things go with your dad?"

"Good," he grinned. "I can't exactly kick off at him for sorting his life out."

Charlotte smiled, "You two still thick as thieves then?"

"Well, I think he's pretty much replaced me in that department these days," Cooper joked, running his hand lightly through Charlotte's hair. "But yeah, thick as thieves."

"That's good," she nodded, "I like your father."

"Oh it's mutual, believe me." Cooper grinned. "He kept banging on about what a catch you are when we were downstairs, told me not to screw things up."

Charlotte laughed, "Wise words."

"He also told me how much of a comfort you were earlier on in the café."

"First time I've ever been described as a 'comfort'," she scoffed, raising an eyebrow.

Cooper drew her hand to his own, interlocking their fingers. "Well believe it or not, you're amazing."

"Oh, am I?" She grinned, eyes flashing with sparkle. "Didn't realize."

"Like you'd ever let me forget it."

"Well, your mom now thinks I'm even less amazing than she did before." Charlotte shrugged, regrettably bringing up the topic.

"Screw her," Cooper retorted, his voice adopting a deeper tone. "I don't care what she has to say at the moment, I really don't."

"To be honest, Coop, I don't think she's doin' too good," she sighed. "I said somethin' to her that I probably shouldn't have. I was totally on the money, mind you, but I still shouldn't have said it."

"Forget it," he replied. "She's a grown woman, she can take honesty."

"She's your mom," Charlotte replied, matter of factly.

"What's your point?"

"You should call her."

"Why?" he asked, annoyance tinting his question.

"Because she's your _mom._" Charlotte stated, both eyebrows raised.

* * *

"... anyway, when you get this message call me back, okay?" Cooper hung up the phone, turning back toward Charlotte.

"At least I tried," he said flippantly.

"Try again in a few hours," Charlotte mumbled. "She might just need some space right now or somethin'."

"Char, she's an adult, I'm not her keeper."

Charlotte gave an exasperated sigh, "We're leavin' tomorrow, Coop, you don't want to end this visit on a bad note. You'll regret it, I know what you're like."

"We don't leave 'til the evening, there'll be plenty of time, I promise." He assured her, tossing her a lopsided smile. "Anyway, go put a dress on or something."

"You have a problem with what I'm wearing, Freedman?" Charlotte asked fiercely, raising both eyebrows once more- a look that she had most frequently used during the beginnings of their relationship, when she still wasn't quite used to his obscure little ways.

"No, god no! You look beautiful, you always look beautiful..." Cooper verbally retreated, realizing his error. "I just thought I could take you out, there's an Italian restaurant a ten minute drive from here. I mean, it's not fried chicken, but it ain't bad either."

"Italian, huh?"

"Yeah."

Charlotte shrugged her shoulders casually, making him work after his slip of the tongue a moment before. "Guess I could be persuaded."

"Persuaded?"

"Mm," Charlotte nodded, pulling herself closer to him.

"What happened to the whole 'If you think I'm havin' sex in your parent's house'..." Cooper mocked, attempting to channel her Southern accent.

"Oh don't do that," she laughed. "That just kills it."

"Really? I thought I had the accent down by now." He joked, teasing his hands through her hair.

"It's shockingly bad," Charlotte replied, voice at a whisper. "Anyway, your dad left about twenty minutes ago. I heard him start the car."

"Well, we'd better get a move on before he comes back," Cooper replied, his tone equally gentle.

"Mm hmm."

"Mm hmm," he laughed softly, leaning towards her before kissing her deeply.

* * *

Charlotte and Cooper lay in bed, legs entangled with Charlotte's head resting upon his chest.

"How many do you want?

"How many what?" Cooper asked, his brow furrowed. They had been resting in comfortable silence for fifteen minutes or so.

"Kids." Charlotte stated, as if her meaning was evident. "How many do ya want?"

Cooper smiled, pleasantly taken aback. "Three would be nice. Maybe four."

Charlotte's eyes widened, "If you think I'm pushing out four babies you can think again."

Cooper laughed. "Well, how many were you thinking?"

"Two." She said softly, musing at the notion. "Not too far apart in age either, always have each other that way."

"I can compromise with two," Cooper said, his smile widening.

"They'll probably be blonde," Charlotte gave a smile of her own. "Most of my family are blonde."

"I'll bet you now we'll have two girls," he chuckled softly. "I think I'm destined to be surrounded by bossy, blonde women the rest of my days."

"Girls would be good," she whispered.

Cooper kissed the top of Charlotte's head, "I can't wait to start a family with you."

"You'll have to marry me first." She chastised, her eyes beginning to close.

"You won't be able to get me down that aisle quick enough."

* * *

At roughly eleven o'clock that same night, Charlotte and Cooper were awoken by Angie and Ted bustling through the front door.

Charlotte hit Cooper's arm, ensuring he was awake. "They're back, on ya go."

"Char," he groaned, "they'll be tired and wanting their bed. It can wait 'til the morning."

"Now, Cooper." She replied, her tone firm, making it clear that arguing over the matter was futile.

Cooper grumbled something nonsensical, tumbling out of bed, hair askew; he pulled on a pair of pyjama bottoms and a t-shirt, rolling his eyes as Charlotte took full advantage of the empty space and stretched out felinely into the middle of the bed. Cooper padded down the staircase, consciously running his hand through his short hair in an attempt to tame it.

"You're back late," he greeted, squinting his eyes at the sudden burst of light he had walked into.

"We went for a drive," his father clarified as Angie hung up their coats.

"Right, that's good... drives are good." Cooper mumbled, desperate to exit the awkwardness of the atmosphere and back under the warm duvet he had been kicked out of moments before. "Eh, I'll let you both get off to bed then."

"Cooper," Angie began, "You may as well hear this now, saves us having the conversation in the morning."

"What conversation?"

"Your mother and I," Ted continued, "made a decision about things. It doesn't affect you right at this moment, and I hope it doesn't have to..."

"We're going to attend couples counselling," Angie announced. "We've both realised over the course of this week that we need to work on a few things, iron out some kinks."

"It's more than a bit of ironing out," Ted interrupted, "but we're hopeful that it'll help. We spoke to Violet on the phone and she offered a little advice, told us what to expect..."

"You called Violet?"

"Well, we trust what Violet has to say," Angie affirmed.

"Okay," Cooper nodded. "But what do you mean about this potentially affecting me?"

"If this doesn't work, dear, your father and I will be getting divorced."

"You're prepared to throw decades of marriage down the drain?" Cooper retorted, shocked by his mother's admission. "Just like that?"

"Things haven't been right between your mother and I for a long time now," Ted replied, his tone warm but hesitant. "We just need to figure out whether we're able to move past everything that's happened, as a couple."

This statement was met with silence by their son, who was unable to conjure up the right words for the scenario playing out in front of him.

"Well, eh, good luck with that." Cooper finally said, pressing his lips together and nodding fiercely. "It's good, that you're working on things. That's good. I'm gonna head back up to bed."

"Cooper, it's fine if you're not okay about all of this. It's a lot to take in... this whole day has been one revelation after another for you," Angie said softly, attempting to comfort her son.

"No honestly, I'm fine. Tired but fine. I need to just... sleep now. So I'm gonna go and eh, do that. Now. I'm gonna go do that now," he replied, with a series of head nods.

Turning away from his parents he clambered back up the staircase and back in between the warm sheets he had regrettably left behind. Picking up Charlotte's sleep heavy arm, that was stretched across his pillow, and nudging her gently back towards her side of the bed, Cooper lay beside her. Closing his eyes, he felt her gently shuffle closer towards him, placing her head back to it's rightful position on his chest, and her arm over his torso.

"Just don't think about it," she sighed deeply. "Always best not to think about it."

* * *

**A/N: Please keep reviewing! It's like sunshine when you do :)**


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Hi there everyone,**

**It's been a little while, I know, and my apologies for that. I got caught in a haze of exams and revision, and haven't really peered out until this last day or two. I recieved a message from a member, asking me to continue my fic... so thank you for that! :) It gave me something to smile about, and allowed me to rediscover my love for writing this story.**

**So here it is, the final chapter! I'm writing the epilogue this very minute, and hope to have that up super soon!**

**I hope you enjoy it :) Please review and let me know what you think.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own absolutely NONE of Private Practice, it all belongs to Shonda Rhimes (who is a far more talented woman than myself).**

* * *

"Divorced?" Charlotte asked wide eyed, pausing momentarily as she repacked her increasingly full suitcase.

"They said it's a possibility," Cooper affirmed, messily folding four or five sweaters to the best of his ability.

"But they're in their _sixties!_" Charlotte drawled, somewhat taken aback. "People don't get divorced at that age, I'm sure they'll work things out just fine."

"They have 'marital issues' remember? You've seen it yourself."

"Of course I did, you'd be blind not to, but that doesn't mean it's not something they can't work through. Honestly, Coop, they've been together all these years, it might take them a while but they'll get to the other end of it."

"When did you become such an _optimist_?" Cooper mused.

"About the same time as I realised we're goin' back to L.A today," she quipped, a small smirk gracing her lips.

"Happy about that, huh?" he joked, tossing the now- haphazardly- folded sweaters messily into the depths of the suitcase.

"You betcha," she affirmed. "No offence to your parents, but I can't wait to get the hell out of here."

"It's been an intense trip," Cooper nodded, "I'm sorry babe, I didn't think it would be anything like this."

"You couldn't have anticipated things would turn out the way they did, Coop. Besides, my family's worse, I don't exactly have the right to start makin' assumptions about yours."

Cooper smirked, "I only met your brothers briefly that one time in Alabama, maybe we're due another trip?"

"Bite your tongue," Charlotte chided. "I get dragged back there kickin' and screamin' once in a blue moon when I'm summoned for this, that or the other. I sure as hell won't be goin' there off my own back any time soon."

"It was just a suggestion," he mumbled, a sparkle in his eyes. "We'll have to see them at the wedding anyway, may as well be prepared..."

"The answer's 'No', Cooper."

"Okay," he replied, raising both hands in the air. "Message received."

Charlotte blew the hair out of her face, scanning Cooper's suitcase with eagle eyes.

"Cooper."

"Yeah?"

"For my sanity," she began, "please just get the heck away from that suitcase."

* * *

It was 1 o'clock in the afternoon: Charlotte was having a cup of coffee in the kitchen, nattering away to Ted about the trials and tribulations of running a hospital; while Cooper and Angie sat in strained silence in the living room, each suppressing the notion of talking their problems through, for fear of further drama.

The doorbell rang and all four adults heard a persistent, light knocking at the door. Before any of them had the chance to reach the hallway, sticky fingers that belonged to a tiny hand pried open the letterbox, yelling through it with great gusto: "Charlotte, I brought my glitter pens with me, Mommy told me not to but I know you like glitter too, and I 'ave pink ones!"

Charlotte grinned as she unlocked the door, being greeted by a flustered Rebecca who gave her a lop-sided smile, while attempting to chastise her over-exuberant daughter.

"Look, look," Emma demanded, thrusting a glitter pen into Charlotte's hand, "I told you there was a pink one!"

"Well, ain't that just lovely?" Charlotte said, in amusement.

"Hi there Charlotte," Rebecca smiled, reaching over her four year old to give the blonde woman a hug. "I'm so sorry about Emma, she's been hyped up all morning about seeing you and Cooper, I haven't been able to calm her down."

Charlotte shrugged, shaking her head. "Little kids are meant to be full of beans, don't worry about it."

Looking down at Emma, she continued: "It's good to see you again, lil' miss! What other colours do you have then? Just the pink one?"

"No I have purple and green and-" Emma stopped her sentence midway, skipping over to Cooper who seemed to have materialised into the hallway.

"Cooper!" She squealed, taking a run and jump towards him, forcing him to catch her for fear of having the wind knocked out of him.

Cooper laughed and ruffled Emma's hair. "Still want a girl?" He whispered at Charlotte, a smirk playing over his lips. "'Cause we could just pack this one into a suitcase, I bet no-one would even know that she's missing..."

"Hey," Emma giggled, throwing her arms around Cooper's leg, "people _would __too _know!"

"Mm hmm," Rebecca smiled, "people would finally know what quiet sounds like. They'd realise straight away."

"_Mommy_" Emma laughed, sticking her tongue out.

* * *

Charlotte and Emma had spent around twenty minutes making pictures of glittery fairy castles, with Charlotte trying her best to keep up with both Emma's ramblings, and the conversation taking place amongst the adults in the room. Her ears now exhausted, Charlotte had given up on fairy castles, opting instead to lean against the worktop and converse with grown-up voices, leaving Emma to conjure up her new fairy queen picture in peace.

"So have you finished the wedding planning yet?" Rebecca asked the happy couple, whilst trying to keep a watchful eye on her mischievous daughter.

"We've actually decided to move the wedding forward," Cooper announced, glancing over at Charlotte.

"Oh really?" Angie chirped in, making an effort to keep a positive demeanour in Charlotte's presence.

"Mm," Charlotte nodded, "we decided that a spring wedding was more up our alley, only bringin' it forward about a month, but we didn't want to put it off any longer if we could help it. Feels like we've waited forever as it is..."

Cooper grinned, "I want to be Mr Charlotte King before she has the chance to change her mind."

Charlotte laughed, "You've got no chance of shaking me off now, Freedman."

"Always good to hear," he replied, enjoying the camaraderie in the room.

"Oh that's so lovely," Rebecca stated, "you two are just a match made in heaven, don't you think so Uncle Ted?"

"I was actually thinking this one here is too good for my clown of a son," he said with a chortle, nudging Charlotte with his shoulder. "But they make a pretty good partnership, I'll give you that."

Charlotte laughed along with the group, accidentally catching Angie's eye, feeling awkward she immediately turned away.

"I'd like to say something," Angie cut in, glancing back over at Charlotte. "I've not-" she sighed, "well, to be honest, I've not been in the best frame of mind during your stay here, and I just want to let it be known that after all that has taken place over the course of this week... I've learned that you are a woman filled with class, elegance and far more emotional maturity than I've managed to display over these past few days-"

"Angie," Charlotte interrupted, "you don't have to do this. Honestly, it's not necessary."

"It is." Angie said, sincerity in her voice. "I've not treated you with the respect you deserve, and I've spent my time with you judging your past, when what I should have been seeing was your integrity and how unbelievably happy you seem to make my son. I hope that you can _both _forgive me, and that you'll allow me to attend your wedding..."

"Of course you're comin' to the wedding," Charlotte relented, moving over towards the woman, placing her hand lightly on Angie's upper arm. "We're family now, of _course _you're comin'."

Cooper frowned, running his hands once more through his hair. "Look, Mom, thing's happen, okay? Let's just move on... Forget all about it."

"I'd like that," Angie agreed, looking skyward in an attempt not to let her emotions get the better of her.

"Well, that's settled then." Charlotte smiled.

"Did I miss something?" Rebecca whispered at Ted, utterly confused by the display in front of her.

"Yes, Rebecca, you did," he affirmed with a nod. "Hell freezing over."

"Since we're talkin' about weddings," Charlotte stated, relieved that the situation with Angie had been resolved, "I have somethin' to ask lil' miss over there."

"Me?" Emma piped up, brown ringlets swinging as she craned her neck to look over at Charlotte.

"Well, only if it's somethin' you wanna do..." She grinned, watching the little girl's eyes sparkle in anticipation.

"What is it?" Emma asked, bouncing over to stand in front of the blonde woman she'd grown so fond of.

"I have a very special job for you to do at the wedding, one that should be lots an' lots of fun" Charlotte began. "Have you ever heard of a flower girl?"

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**A/N: So there we go, the final chapter :) Please review! I love to hear your thoughts. Also, if you haven't checked it out yet, have a glance over my new fic 'Rogue' (which is another tale regarding Charlotte and Cooper), which is something I plan on continuing with.**


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